Public History

Last Updated: February 4, 2021

Modesto A. Madique Campus, DM 371-B
11200 SW 8th St

Miami, FL 33199

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Director(s)

April Merleaux
[email protected]
305-348-2225

 

Program Introduction

Since 2000, the History Department at FIU has had a strong and growing Public History (PH) program. Over the past fifteen plus years, we have worked on it in cooperation with museums and libraries within the university and in Miami broadly. Students pursuing the MA in History may fulfill their exit requirements by completing the Public History option. Public History has trained students to conduct research, develop programming with a historical and cultural content, implement hands-on cultural and historical projects, find targeted and active-learning internships, prepare engaging portfolios of their work and accomplishments, and, ultimately, secure placement in major graduate programs and employment beyond the traditional academic areas.

Degrees Offered

  • M.A. in History
  • M.A. in History with a Certificate or Concentration in Public History
  • Ph.D. in History

Program Strengths

  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies
  • Oral History

Credit Hour Requirements

30 credit hours for MA

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA14 (3 with funding)

PhD10 ( 5 with funding

MAs produced last year

5

Financial Aid Available

We offer occasional teaching and research assistantships on a competitive basis, depending on current funding for public history projects. Assistantships come with a stipend and a tuition waiver.

Internship Requirements

Students completing the public history option for the MA must complete 320 hours of internship across 6 credits and defend a portfolio showcasing their public history work. Students typically arrange their own internships with advice and guidance from the public history faculty advisor. The Department has strong working relationships with a number of South Florida cultural institutions and can place students in internships on diverse topics. Occasional grant-funded Graduate Assistantships are available for public history projects.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

  • Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
  • The Wolfsonian-FIU
  • Special Collections at the FIU Green Library
  • The Frost Art Museum
  • The South Florida Military Museum
  • Coral Gables Museum
  • Stranahan House
  • HistoryMiami
  • South Florida Collections Management Center
  • Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts
  • Miami Beach Historical Archive

Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years

  • The Wolfsonian-FIU
  • HistoryMiami
  • Coral Gables Museum
  • Spain-Florida Foundation
  • Hot Springs National Park
  • State of Florida–Division of Emergency Management
  • Miami Beach Historical Archive